With his narrative, almost filmic and precisely arranged stagings the American architectural photographer Julius Shulman breathed life into the clean, modernist buildings he captured with his iconic images. It was his photography which especially defined the world’s perception of California and its modern architectural roots.

On the occasion of his 100th birthday on October 10th the ZEPHYR Raum für Fotografie in Mannheim / Germany, gives us the chance to look at 220 pieces of Julius Shulman’s artwork from the years 1938 to 1982 and his almost unknown late work, which he realised together with the German photographer Jürgen Nogai from 1999 until his death in 2009.

The exhibition ‘Cool and Hot’ will be open from 17 October till 27 February 2011 at ZEPHYR Raum für Fotografie, Museum Bassermannhaus für Musik und Kunst C4,8, 68159 Mannheim. There is also an accompanying catalogue „Julius Shulman: Cool and Hot” 240 pages (ISBN 978-3-927774-35-3) available at the museum’s reception.

“‘Cool and Hot’ presents Cool in the reduced settings of the California Style, which reflected the American way of life – during a period of unlimited economic growth. This Coolness found its expression in the way he integrated people or their belongings into his photographs. Conversely it affects the Hot in the viewers and thus creates the desire to follow these congenial translated dreams of life. Hot describes the reactions, which are caused by his images. It is this perception which leaves us admiring the beauty of architecture and photography, while evoking the deep desire to be part of the scenery and thus to take part in the Great American Dream. This momentum in his work is outstanding, rare, and is an inseparable part of his art.”

“Cool and Hot combines the iconic images of the 40´s, 50´s, and 60´s, with the last decade of his work done in partnership with Juergen Nogai. Most people did not realize that Shulman was collaborating intensively with Juergen Nogai, a Santa Monica based architectural photographer. It is to Juergen Nogai’s credit that through this very real partnership, they were able to transform and capture the dreamlike architecture in beautifully believable images.”